While the music and lyrics of Richmond-based band The Richard’s possess a certain playful optimism, drummer and singer Ryan Hale has lived through some difficult circumstances.
He grew up estranged from his father in a strained family situation, worked through substance-abuse issues, and was robbed and shot through the neck while working as a pizza delivery driver.
“I have lived a very difficult life and have been negative pretty much most of my life,” Hale said. “Now I have two beautiful boys and my wife is absolutely amazing and supportive. I have a really good life going for me, and I’ve fought really hard to get here.
“For someone who’s been through so much stuff, it’s like I’m the wise old owl. Now that I’ve been through all this, I somehow can find a silver lining in things. I remember writing when I was 18 and … some of the stuff it’s so depressing and so sad. I know there’s a market for that, but I don’t want to go down with that sort of background. I’m trying very hard to write positively because I think that’s what we need more of.”
IF YOU GO
The Richard’s, Friday, Sept 26, 8 p.m., Reclaim Arcade, 2324 Plank Rd, Fredericksburg, $15 cover at the door includes games, ages 18+
Hale moved to Fredericksburg in his mid-20s to reestablish a relationship with his father. He played in several local bands, including Alex Culbreth & The Dead Country Stars, Skiffle Lounge, and Midnight Spaghetti & The Chocolate G-Strings. He stayed with Midnight Spaghetti for 10 years, but the time commitment and lack of steady income made it hard to build a life.
“I had a really good time with them but it got to the point where I was so broke,” Hale said. “We would go on tour for 10 to 12 days, and I left to go on tour already underwater. I didn’t make any money so when I came back.. I didn’t have any money. I might have had $80 in my pocket… It just wasn’t fun anymore.”
Hale did what so many musicians do to make ends meet: he worked day jobs and formed his own band to play gigs in the evening.
The group name came from trying to rebrand from an older band name with different members, Hale said.
“We threw a bunch of names around, and I thought it’d be funny to be called The Dicks, but it was already taken by a few other bands. So, Richard’s it became, because we’re older now and more sophisticated.”
Unfortunately, the year the power trio of The Richard’s was born was 2020.
When all live music venues were shutting down due to the pandemic, Hale came up with an inventive solution: he built a stage in his backyard. His kids used painted rocks to make six-foot “pods” for the audience, which consisted mostly of his friends.
Photo by Kara Powers Photography.
“I’m a plumber, so I have built a lot of stuff,” Hale said. “So I went and bought five sheets of plywood and some 2×6 pressure-treated lumber and made a moveable stage. And we just started playing outside. Then I bought a tent and we got lights and a bunch of carpets and started throwing parties in my backyard.”
Besides Hale on drums and vocals, The Richard’s feature Jeff Simpson on guitar and Chuck Smith on bass. The band plays a set of original songs and covers with a touch of jam band and soulful rock.
Simpson is a chemistry professor at the University of Richmond and pens original songs along with Hale. Smith, who played in bands in Los Angeles for 15 years, brings a pop-punk element to the group’s rhythms.
“Jeff will come in almost every week that we have practice and be like ‘Hey, listen to this,’” Hale said. “We’ll start playing something and immediately go into a song. I’ll mumble some words, and I’ll go back and write the lyrics, then it’s a song. Then we spend months fine-tuning it. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a band that just cranks out music left and right.”
Besides his bandmates’ strong musical talent, Hale appreciates the rapport and friendship at the heart of The Richard’s.
“This is by far one of the best bands I’ve ever been in in my entire life,” Hale said. “These guys are really good and professional and fun to be around. We’ve been together for five-and-a-half years and never been in a fight. And it’s been really cool to be in a band with no drama. That’s what I wanted my whole life. It’s very hard to find and when you do find it, it’s something that you want to hang on to.”
Editor’s note: The apostrophe in the name came from a typographical error, said Hale. “After we had everything printed …banner, cards, stickers.. it just stuck. It’s now possessive, so we are literally Richard’s.”
